So, after a lot of recommendations & after facing a lot of haw haye’s I decided to give this blockbuster a go. I must say I am impressed. Day 1 – down with 5 episode & counting. I thought I won’t be able to do justice with the drama in just one review after I finish watching it, so decided to divide the reviews as I go.
Ohkay, speaking of the first impression. I was in an awe of such a huge star cast. I must say I am totally impressed by the screenplay & the direction. The way they have brought back to life the olden era is definitely a treat to watch. The feel of the drama with a special consideration to both Urdu & Hindi languages is what has contributed a lot to this drama’s success. I am so far enjoying all the characters but the one character that has made a mark for me until now is that of Surraiya, even though till now all she does is hide behind her ghoonghat but her minute expressions tell a million feelings within. I have never been so convinced by Saba Qamar as an actress but I think she is phenomenal as well as beautiful in this drama so far.
Yes, the story as we all know emphasized on the co-existence between the two religious communities of pre-partitioned India. Starting off from Punjab, no doubt we have a clean history of Muslims & Sikhs living peacefully together. I found this a lot more convincing that they showed the time lapse in between to elaborate the progress & crisis people faced altogether. Not only Muslims in India over all faced the blood shed but very convincingly they have brought down the story to the happy household in Ludhiana & the toll partition took on their close-knit family.
I must admit that when the drama began I wasn’t much into the character of Bano because I thought Sanam Baloch over did it but I am glad as the story is progressing Bano is showing more of her real nature. Fawad Khan as Hassan is phenomenal – an Engineering student, active & proud worker of the Muslim League political party, the most sought after bachelor & a kind hearted person, I can’t even begin to imagine what this character would be meaning to his fans. ;) I loved the note at which the drama began, showing all the festivities, harmony among the people, all the tehzeeb & adab o lehaaz where a wife shied smiling at her husband even behind a closed door & a sister thought her brother has gone disrespectful just because he took his wife for a little outing. I loved the situational comic moments they showed because this is what I as a viewer look in a drama. Some sweet moments, some overwhelming ones & a few bits that bring a smile to the face is what all I need. So, I am ticking all the boxes for now.
I thought Ahsan Khan had a strong role to play as Saleem & no doubt he did play his part well & acted out his character brilliantly but Saleem’s nature is of someone who has a few complexes & had no such insights. At first when Hassan & Saleem had a difference of opinion about supporting Congress or Muslim League, I thought it was because Saleem had a few convincing arguments in his bag but this came across as something which wasn’t the case. Saleem is someone who is scared of taking a stand on a larger scale, despite the fact that he is being stern on his family, he actually has no guts to stand against the people he has shared the shelter with. I thought Saleem’s support to the Congress was based on the positivity but till now I believe just because Hassan is an active member of the Muslim League, Saleem has to oppose it because like he says to his father, he has always faced some sort of a comparison to Hassan all his life which shows us more that the mere disagreement had a little backing of personal feelings too. This sheds a light on those few innocent Muslims who thought supporting Congress was the right thing to do because the Hindu’s sugarcoated their hatred in front of a few such Muslims & made them believe that they meant no harm to them whereas deep down, they were only happy when Muslims were just a minority & nothing else.
The story of Bano & Hassan as a side note is sweet & done really well. Luckily for Hassan, Bano also shares the same ideology as him. I think now the story is going to take a serious turn but till now I am totally hooked to the show. All the characters have played their parts extremely well but this had me thinking. When I looked at the direction & the locations & all the characters, it shook me with grief that just a matter of years ago this phenomenal & record breaking drama was produced for the Pakistani audience & shown on Hum Tv, but don’t know what got wrong with the channel that they have stooped to the level of Ek Tamanna La Hasil Si & Rishte Kuch Adhoore Se type of dramas? I think when they could pull off such sort of brilliant dramas in the past, why can’t they redeem themselves & get back to this level again? I will end my say on this wishful thinking with a sigh!
I am being a little mean here, I hope & request that I don’t get to come across ANY spoiler alerts but sadly I know what will happen to Bano in the end but for now I want to enjoy this moment of glory. Share your say with me & those who recommended me Dastaan & awaited the reviews, there you go & a big fat THANK YOU! :)
Keep Supporting,
Cheers.
Zahra Mirza.
